{friday finds: decorating with green}

March 16, 2012 — Amy

Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years – giving us lots of traditions and inspiration to draw from!

For example, some St. Patrick’s Day traditions and symbols include:

The shamrock: The shamrock was chosen Ireland’s national emblem because of the legend that St. Patrick had used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity.

Leprechauns: The name leprechaun comes from the old Irish word “luchorpan” which means “little body.” A leprechaun is an Irish fairy who looks like a small, old man about 2 feet tall. He is often dressed like a shoemaker, with a crooked hat and a leather apron.

The harp: The harp is an ancient musical instrument used in Ireland for centuries. It is also a symbol of Ireland. It appears on Irish coins, the presidential flag, state seals, uniforms, and official documents.

And of course, the color green! Believe it or not, the color of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue. But in the 19th century green became used as a symbol for Ireland. In Ireland, there is plenty of rain and mist, making the ‘Emerald Isle’ green all year-round. The beautiful green landscape was probably the inspiration for the national color.

Wearing the color green is considered an act of paying tribute to Ireland. It is said that it also brings good luck, especially when worn on St. Patrick’s Day. We think it never hurts to bring a little luck o’ the Irish into your home with some green design either!

House Beautiful

This room is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Forest Moss. “When you paint the trim the same color as the walls, it brings your eye up. It’s like wearing a black skirt, black stockings, and black high heels. It makes you looks taller.” -Meg Braff, designer

Hirshfield’s Cyan Sky 0681

Doesn’t this color from Hirshfield’s Paint just remind you of mist rising over the sea in Ireland?

Thibaut

You don’t have to limit yourself to paint if you are looking to add some green to your walls. You can check out this pattern as well as many others from Thibaut in the Avalon book available at your local Twin Cities Hirshfield’s.

Amanda Nisbet

Grasscloth is timeless and has been a favorite of designers for years. It brings another layer of texture, color, warmth, and in some cases, another pattern to a room. This particular grasscloth wallcovering from Amanda Nisbet is available at Hirshfield’s.

If you’re feeling crafty this St. Patrick’s Day, follow along as Craftaholics Anonymous teaches you how to make a paint chip canvas to display your favorite shades of green!